University of Maryland Extension

I am grateful for the last three years as SNAP-Ed Project Leader and Educator. My almost ten years with our program have been a time of personal and professional growth as I developed close relationships with colleagues and impactful partnerships with many collaborators in the community. I want to thank UMD, the SNAP-Ed State Office staff, and my Allegany Extension family for supporting our work. It has been a pleasure working with each of you in our shared mission to affect the lives of our residents in positive and impactful ways. For the good of the children and families of this county, I am grateful for the efforts that remain in place and each of you who strive to make an impact. As for the next steps, I am taking a short break from my professional endeavors, and I'm looking forward to my son’s wedding in October. - Mandy Hawkins

After nine fantastic years on the SNAP-Ed team, the time has come for me to move on. I am fortunate to be taking many wonderful memories, new connections, and friendships with me as I leave. On September 15th, I will embark on a new journey as a Social and Emotional Learning Coach at the Career Center for the Board of Education. While our mission was important, meaningful, and impactful, I look forward to new experiences, with the hope that one day, we can resume our work together. - Shirley Guinn

Allegany County 4-Hers recently concluded a summer aquaponics program in partnership with Queen Anne’s County 4-H and the University of Maine. The hybrid program included weekly online meetings and an in-person learning day. 4-Hers learned about a wide range of topics, including water quality testing, the nitrogen cycle, various aquaponics system setups, plant needs, fish selection, and college and career opportunities in aquaponics.

Now in its second year, the program allowed youth to develop their own aquaponic setups by submitting a proposal based on the engineering design process. Last year’s participants were able to visit the University of Maryland’s aquaponics lab. This year’s participants are looking forward to a tour of a MIPS (Maryland Industrial Partnerships) aquaculture shrimp-farming project at the Appalachian Lab.

Congratulations to the Frostburg Robotics for Environmental Awareness (FREA) and Frostburg Bug Bots on their participation at the Maryland 4-H Robotics Competition at the Maryland State Fair. Both teams built and programmed LEGO robots to perform a variety of tasks related to the theme of environmental awareness to compete in the robot rounds of the competition.

They also prepared and presented two presentations, one on the technical aspects of their robot, and another on their team's service project. For their service project, FREA was on hand for the city of Frostburg's annual Arbor Day celebration and official opening of the new playground at the Glendening Recreation Complex. The team planted three red maple trees, guided by a MD DNR Forester. The Frostburg Bug Bots led a bug hotel building project for the Frostburg Rise and Shine 4-H Club. FREA placed 3rd in the state at the intermediate level and the Frostburg Bug Bots placed 2nd in the state.

Jesse Ketterman leads the statewide financial wellness team in the Your Money, Your Goals initiative, which provides financial tools and resources to human service providers who work on the front line serving members of our communities. Human service providers often lack the foundational skills to assist clients with financial matters. By offering this program, we can expand the impact of financial literacy in our communities. Since Dr. Ketterman started with Extension, the training has been offered in all three western counties.

The Hagerstown Housing Authority hosted a training for community members in June. In July, the Worcester County Health Department in Snow Hill, MD, also hosted a training. Both of these trainings included CEUs for Social Workers who attended.

To learn about hosting a program with your organization, contact Dr. Ketterman at jketterm@umd.edu

This summer during the Garden Glory sessions at the LEAD Summer Camp at Braddock Middle School, students transformed Braddock’s eight raised garden beds with guidance from Sarah Llewellyn, AgFS/ENR Educator of the University of Maryland Extension. Students weeded the beds and planted sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, zucchini, and more, and are eagerly awaiting their harvest!

It's been a busy summer for the Master Gardeners in Allegany County. From sharing a booth at the Frostburg Farmers Market while highlighting native blooms, monarch eggs, and answering gardening questions to joining Ashley Bodkins, MG Coordinator/Educator in Garrett County, to help with the Tomato Festival they held at the Deep Creek Farmers Market.

The Planting Knowledge, Garden Education Classes will wrap up on September 6th, at Christ Lutheran Church in LaVale, MD. Along with Sarah, Master Gardeners Mary Jo and Mason had the opportunity to teach during these sessions.

Another highlight of the summer was officially welcoming four new Master Gardeners to the Allegany County Master Gardener program. We are so grateful for their love of all things gardening, and you might see them soon sharing their skills and volunteering at an upcoming Master Gardener event.

Fall is just around the corner, and that means harvest season will be here before we know it. For farmers and producers, once the combines are parked and the last loads are in, things slow down a bit – making it a great time to catch up on paperwork, update records, and start planning for next year. One important thing you can do during this "slow" season is review your Nutrient Management Plan. A key part of your plan is having up-to-date soil tests. Soil sampling gives you a clear picture of each field’s fertility – things like pH, organic matter, and nutrient levels. Having this information helps you make smart decisions about what your fields need (and what they don’t).

Soil samples should be collected at least once every three years. The best way to do this is with a soil probe, which you can borrow from the Allegany County Extension office. For each field, take 15 to 20 cores, mix them together in a clean bucket, and then send about two cups of the mixed sample to the lab. If your soil is wet, make sure to let it air dry only – no ovens or heaters. This is also a good time to check over your farm maps and make sure everything is up to date. If you’ve picked up new ground – or stopped working a field – let us know. We can help update your plan to reflect any changes in acreage or operation. If you have questions about sampling, need a list of soil testing labs, want to report changes, or need help updating your plan, give us a call at the Allegany County Extension office. We’re here to help!

Please contact Brianna LeMay by calling (301) 724-3320 or by emailing blemay@umd.edu. She is available in person at the Allegany Office on Mondays and Tuesdays, at the Garrett Office on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and working remotely on Fridays.

• Application Form for Soil Conservation District Supervisors
• Facts Supervisors Should Know
• Soil Conservation District Supervisor's Handbook

Allegany County UME Faculty and Staff

We are here to serve you and help answer any questions about 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture, Home Gardening, Health & Nutrition, Financial Wellness, and more.

Dr. Jennifer Bentlejewski, WMD Area Extension Director jthorn@umd.edu

4-H Youth Development

• Michelle Harman, Educator mharman2@umd.edu
• Jessica Mellon, Educator jmellon2@umd.edu
• Sara Barnard, Program Assistant sbarnard@umd.edu

Agriculture and Food Systems / Environment and Natural Resources

• Sarah Llewellyn, Master Gardener Coordinator/ Agriculture & Food Systems Educator sllewellyn@umd.edu

MD - SNAP-Ed

• Amanda Hawkins, Project Leader/Educator ahawkin7@umd.edu
• Shirley Guinn, Educator sguinn1@umd.edu
• Shayla Hitchins, Program Assistant sfelker@umd.edu

Family and Consumer Sciences

• Dr. Lisa McCoy, RD, FCS Educator lmccoy@umd.edu
• Dr. Jesse Ketterman, FCS Educator jketterm@umd.edu
• Shelita Jackson, Tech Extension Educator sjack111@umd.edu

Administrative Support

• Jody Parrish, Program Management Specialist jparrish@umd.edu
• Toni Richards, Administrative Assistant I tonir@umd.edu

Location: 1 Commerce Drive, Cumberland, MD 21502

Office Hours: M-F 8:30 am-4:30 pm excluding holidays

Phone: 301-724-3320

Website: https://extension.umd.edu/locations/allegany-county/

Facebook Pages:

Agriculture in Allegany County- University of Maryland Extension

Allegany County Master Gardeners

University of Maryland Extension - Allegany County 4-H

Healthy Living in Allegany County- University of Maryland Extension

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If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate any program or event, please contact our office, at least two weeks prior, at 301-724-3320.